Post by Shepherd on Mar 15, 2009 14:16:33 GMT -6
-VIII
GIVING THANKS
EPHESIANS 5:19-21..SPEAKING TO YOURSELVES IN PSALMS AND HYMNS ANS SPIRITUAL SONGS, SINGING AND MAKING MELODY IN YOUR HEART TO THE LORD; GIVING THANKS ALWAYS FOR ALL THINGS UNTO GOD AND THE FATHER IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST; SUBMITTING YOURSELVES ONE TO ANOTHER IN THE FEAR OF GOD.
Did you know that thanksgiving is a necessary step toward being filled with the Holy Ghost.
Paul was very anxious that Christians should be fully blessed. He felt that the Gospel had provided for Christians to the blessed in their living and that all spiritual blessings would be available in Christ Jesus.
Paul felt that it was unnecessary for Christians to live in sadness, gloom, darkness, doubt and in unbelief when they could be strong and joyous and living in the Lord. He knew that this blessedness of quietness and peace and joy which comes from Jesus Christ would come into our hearts through Jesus Christ, who would work in us by and through the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is given to every Christian. Not every Christian accepts Him.
As a matter of fact, not every Christian knows about the Holy Ghost, nor has really recognized that God has given the Holy Ghost to every Christian if they would accept Him.
The Holy Ghost can work in us according to the faith that we have; faith in God, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, faith in the Holy Ghost.
Paul outlines three steps that are to be taken by a Christian which will lead him into the marvelous blessing of being filled with the Holy Ghost.
The first step is SPEAKING TO YOURSELVES IN PSALMS AND HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS, is a way of enabling us to fill our minds and hearts with Scripture. It will brings the ideas of the Word of God into our thinking. One way to learn the Scripture is to sing it. Not that we may one time learn it, but that we may constantly have it in mind because it is the presence of the Word of God in the soul that actually feeds faith. So the first step toward actually being filled with the Holy Ghost in a wholesome strong way is to be acquainted with what the Bible says and means.
GIVING THANKS ALWAYS FOR ALL THINGS UNTO GOD AND THE FATHER IN THE NAME OF OUR LORDS JESUS CHRIST; This is the necessary and important second step toward being filled with the Holy Ghost. What does being thankful means? It means that I recognize God has done things for me. When I am thankful, I recognize God as the giver of every good and perfect gift. I recognize Him as the One who watches over me. He is the Keeper of Israel, who neither slumbers nor sleeps. I thank God for His protection, care and provision.
Every day, in little things and in big things, we need to keep looking to see the hand of God. just as surely as we look around us we will see evidence that God is being good to us.
When I wake up in the morning and find that I have a good day, I should thank God for that good day. If I should wake up in the morning and find I will have a rainy day, the question would be do I have a raincoat? If I have I could thank God for that raincoat. Or if I should wake up in the morning and as I am going out to work I find the day is cold and windy, the question is do I have a car? Has it got windows: then let me thank God I am get down town without freezing on the way. I should be thankful. Since these are such little things, one could ask why would a person give thanks? So that I will be drawn nearer to Him. This is what will keep me close to Him.
The Christian should be thankful about everything–he should give thanks always and in every situation. The Christian should trust Him from the first. The Christian should give God thanks and praise for the benefits he is receiving all the time.
SUBMITTING YOURSELVES ONE TO ANOTHER IN THE FEAR OF GOD.
this is te third step–the Christian must submit himself to the people with whom he lives. Are there folks at home? He should be conscious of them and take them into consideration. He should be considerate of people at home and at work. This also will apply to other people who may be driving on the highway. The Christian should be considerate, give them room–SUBMITTING YOURSELF TO OTHER PEOPLE implies that you accommodate yourself to what is involved when you are with others. The Christian is led to take a lowly position.
If the Christian wants blessing, this is what he should do. If the Christian wants to have fellowship with God in the Holy Ghost, then he should submit himself to others as well as the Holy Ghost.
Performing these three practical actions–keeping heart and mind filled with Scripture–being thankful for the way things are happening –submitting one to another, will prepare the Christian for the Holy Ghost to come in and fill his soul. If the Christian will do these things he will be richly blessed and Christ Jesus will be glorified.
EPHESIANS 5:19-21..SPEAKING TO YOURSELVES IN PSALMS AND HYMNS ANS SPIRITUAL SONGS, SINGING AND MAKING MELODY IN YOUR HEART TO THE LORD; GIVING THANKS ALWAYS FOR ALL THINGS UNTO GOD AND THE FATHER IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST; SUBMITTING YOURSELVES ONE TO ANOTHER IN THE FEAR OF GOD.
Did you know that thanksgiving is a necessary step toward being filled with the Holy Ghost.
Paul was very anxious that Christians should be fully blessed. He felt that the Gospel had provided for Christians to the blessed in their living and that all spiritual blessings would be available in Christ Jesus.
Paul felt that it was unnecessary for Christians to live in sadness, gloom, darkness, doubt and in unbelief when they could be strong and joyous and living in the Lord. He knew that this blessedness of quietness and peace and joy which comes from Jesus Christ would come into our hearts through Jesus Christ, who would work in us by and through the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is given to every Christian. Not every Christian accepts Him.
As a matter of fact, not every Christian knows about the Holy Ghost, nor has really recognized that God has given the Holy Ghost to every Christian if they would accept Him.
The Holy Ghost can work in us according to the faith that we have; faith in God, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, faith in the Holy Ghost.
Paul outlines three steps that are to be taken by a Christian which will lead him into the marvelous blessing of being filled with the Holy Ghost.
The first step is SPEAKING TO YOURSELVES IN PSALMS AND HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS, is a way of enabling us to fill our minds and hearts with Scripture. It will brings the ideas of the Word of God into our thinking. One way to learn the Scripture is to sing it. Not that we may one time learn it, but that we may constantly have it in mind because it is the presence of the Word of God in the soul that actually feeds faith. So the first step toward actually being filled with the Holy Ghost in a wholesome strong way is to be acquainted with what the Bible says and means.
GIVING THANKS ALWAYS FOR ALL THINGS UNTO GOD AND THE FATHER IN THE NAME OF OUR LORDS JESUS CHRIST; This is the necessary and important second step toward being filled with the Holy Ghost. What does being thankful means? It means that I recognize God has done things for me. When I am thankful, I recognize God as the giver of every good and perfect gift. I recognize Him as the One who watches over me. He is the Keeper of Israel, who neither slumbers nor sleeps. I thank God for His protection, care and provision.
Every day, in little things and in big things, we need to keep looking to see the hand of God. just as surely as we look around us we will see evidence that God is being good to us.
When I wake up in the morning and find that I have a good day, I should thank God for that good day. If I should wake up in the morning and find I will have a rainy day, the question would be do I have a raincoat? If I have I could thank God for that raincoat. Or if I should wake up in the morning and as I am going out to work I find the day is cold and windy, the question is do I have a car? Has it got windows: then let me thank God I am get down town without freezing on the way. I should be thankful. Since these are such little things, one could ask why would a person give thanks? So that I will be drawn nearer to Him. This is what will keep me close to Him.
The Christian should be thankful about everything–he should give thanks always and in every situation. The Christian should trust Him from the first. The Christian should give God thanks and praise for the benefits he is receiving all the time.
SUBMITTING YOURSELVES ONE TO ANOTHER IN THE FEAR OF GOD.
this is te third step–the Christian must submit himself to the people with whom he lives. Are there folks at home? He should be conscious of them and take them into consideration. He should be considerate of people at home and at work. This also will apply to other people who may be driving on the highway. The Christian should be considerate, give them room–SUBMITTING YOURSELF TO OTHER PEOPLE implies that you accommodate yourself to what is involved when you are with others. The Christian is led to take a lowly position.
If the Christian wants blessing, this is what he should do. If the Christian wants to have fellowship with God in the Holy Ghost, then he should submit himself to others as well as the Holy Ghost.
Performing these three practical actions–keeping heart and mind filled with Scripture–being thankful for the way things are happening –submitting one to another, will prepare the Christian for the Holy Ghost to come in and fill his soul. If the Christian will do these things he will be richly blessed and Christ Jesus will be glorified.